The other day I was in the shower and I couldn’t remember if I conditioned my hair or not because I had just been struck with a great wave of inspiration for my current work in progress. (WIP)  It was the oddest thing and I think I ended up conditioning my hair twice, but I just couldn’t be sure so off I went again.  

It got me thinking about the various places that inspiration has struck me over the years.  Once while I was driving back from a writer’s conference (yay DFW Writer’s Conference), I had all this positive energy going from the conference and all the great people I met while I was there, so half way home between Dallas and Wichita Falls, inspiration struck!  I had to immediately pull over so I could write everything down when I was thinking it because I didn’t want any of it to go away.  You know what I mean?  Going back to the shower incident, I finished my shower in record time, and even wrote some of my “notes” in the steam on the glass of my shower so I wouldn’t forget.

This is how I end up with spiral notebooks everywhere in my house.  Next to the pile of books that I always have, (must be because I’m afraid I’ll run out of new books to read), there is always a notebook of some sort with a pen or pencil, just in case I might need it for that swift moment of inspiration. (I’ve even taken to carrying a notebook and sticky notes in my purse.)

How about you?  What is the weirdest place that inspiration has struck for you?

Sometimes it’s okay to just order a pizza and enjoy yourself.  I was thinking about this a little this afternoon because I haven’t gotten near enough writing done this week, and here I am pondering what to write next and I’m just staring at the keys on my keyboard as if something will magically appear and show me which direction I need to go with my current work in progress.  Yeah right!  Between the phone ringing, my daughter and dogs playing, and the laundry, finding that bit of inspiration or even motivation to keep writing seems like the worst way to spend my evening.  

(Photo courtesy of Flickr Commons)

I’ve put in my time this week, I’ve done a LOT of reading.  I wouldn’t say that it was my best week, but I put the time in there.  If we are listing excuses I would say that coming down with a horrible migraine mid-week certainly counts as a viable excuse for my break in writing.  (For me, every time there is a big shift in the weather, in rolls the migraine and knocks me on my “you know” for about a day or two, and then I’m slowly making my way back towards the land of the living, just in time to head to work.

You know, if you’ll allow me to digress here for just a moment, there’s certainly something to be said about being in a place that inspires, because sitting at a desk at work, certainly doesn’t get my imagination gears going.  If I could work anywhere, then I would work at a café in Venice, where I could watch people walk by and hear the sounds of music playing softly from a distance, sipping on my delicious espresso.  Are you there with me?  I think we should all have a desk there!

Going back to my point, I was going to say that at the end of such a week, there should be no harm in saying, “You know what?  I think we deserve pizza tonight!  No cooking!”  Yay!  And everyone rejoices and you feel a smile slip over your face because there won’t be that many dishes (even less if you could find those paper plates), and everyone is happy.

So, I’m not sure what kind of week you’ve had, but if it’s anything like mine, please take this as the official okay to order in some pizza tonight!  Yay pizza!

My metaphor here was supposed to be something about how my writing might have been better in the week, but now I’m just throwing slop on the page and I know it, but it’s pizza night and that’s okay.  I tell you what, it’s a good thing it’s Friday because apparently I’ve lost my mind. *smiles*

I’ve had no “a-ha” moment today.  You know those moments when you sit down at your computer screen and suddenly the words of what you want to write spring from the depths of your soul as if they were shot out of a coke bottle?  (I know some of you are smiling right now.) I didn’t have that moment today.

I have been thinking over the past two weeks about what to write that would be fun and interesting, but honestly, I can’t seem to think of one single thing.  Of course, put me down in front of someone and I can finagle my way through some conversation like a seasoned veteran, but this white screen of death is overwhelming me lately.  

(Courtesy of Flickr Commons)

Just recently I returned from a wonderful trip to the Dallas Writer’s Conference; and it was amazing!  I got to meet up with some friends that I hadn’t seen in a year and even met a ton of new ones.  The guest lectures were amazing and there was so much great information, I felt as if my mind would explode with all the ideas I had when I left.  But something happened on that two hour drive from Dallas to Wichita Falls; something that made me loose that momentum and passion for doing what I love to do best – writing.

Sure, there are many reasons that I could give for not writing lately.  I work a full time job and I am a mother and wife – seems like that could be just enough.  But to be honest, it was like my little inspiration angel was on vacation. (To be fair, it is a great time of year to take a vacation.)  I have become obsessed with other things (for instance, giving consideration to homeschooling my daughter), but that doesn’t seem to be enough of an excuse to be absent from the very thing that I feel almost defines who I am.

So, with the positive thought about having nothing to write, I sat down at my computer and wrote this bit of nothing to entertain and share with you.  Perhaps by next week I will find something a little better to discuss over our cup of joe. *smiles*  Has that ever happened to you?  Have you ever been in a moment of life that you feel like you might be walking around in some kind of daze?